As most photographers will tell you, a camera does nothing more than control the amount of light that reaches the sensor (film or digital), and it's the photographer that determines what the camera sees. That said, the specific camera, or camera system, dictates how much of the photographer's vision can be recorded.

I currently use a Canon DSLR system, having transitioned to digital capture in late 2004.

Bodies

• Canon EOS 1D Mark III
  This is a very nice body for shooting wildlife. The 10.1 mega-pixel sensor, with a 1.3 magnification factor, and the ability to shoot 10 frames per second for a 30-RAW-frame burst, makes it very nice for capturing action. The extremely low noise at higher ISOs opens up new shooting possibilities in low light.
• Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
  This is an excellent body for shooting landscapes. The 21.1 mega-pixel full-frame sensor captures spectacular image data with very little noise. It's also a decent wildlife body that can capture 5 frames per second for a 12-RAW-frame burst.

Lenses

• Canon EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM
  This mid-range zoom lens replaced my Canon EF 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS USM which felt chintzy and had soft corners. The 24-105 has a sturdy "L"-lens feel, and the corners are much sharper.
• Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM
  A very useful long-range zoom, and it's built like a tank.
• Sigma AF 120-300mm f2.8 APO EX IF USM
  A fast zoom with a decent focal-length range. It's built well, and the IF design means that the lens doesn't change length when focussing or zooming, which is very convenient when working out of a Kinesis long-lens bag on safari. Because it weighs a ton and is fairly long, the 100-400 is in my bag more often when weight is a concern.
• Canon EF 180mm f3.5 L Macro USM
  A nice, yet large, macro lens.
• Canon EF 500mm f4 L IS USM
  My big glass. Performs well with the 1.4x tele-extender.
• Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5 L
  The wide-angle tilt/shift lens is great for landscapes with large "depth-of-field" requirements. The shift capability is useful for shooting "up" where the usual convergence effect isn't wanted.
• Canon TS-E 90mm f2.8
  The short-telephoto tilt/shift lens is great for close-ups with large "depth-of-field" requirements.
• The alphabet soup defined
  

  APO	- APOchromatic
  EX	- superior build and optical quality (or EXpensive)
  HSM	- Hyper-Sonic Motor
  IF	- Internal Focusing
  IS	- Image Stabilization
  L	- pro-Level (or Luxury, or Ludicrously priced)
  USM	- Ultra-Sonic Motor

Tele-Extenders

• Canon EF 1.4x II
  I use this 1.4x tele-extender on the 120-300, 180 Macro, and 500.

Extension Tubes

When I don't have my macro along, I prefer extension tubes, rather than close-up lenses, because they're lighter and they're one-size-fits-all. I also use them with the 500 for photographing small subjects.


• Canon EF12
• Canon EF25
  

Filters

• UV Haze
  Screw-on filters almost always attached to each lens, mainly to protect the front element. I have a mix of B+W and Hoya filters, all multi-coated.
• Circular Polarizer
  Screw-on filters in sizes to fit each lens. I have a mix of B+W and Hoya filters, all multi-coated.
• Neutral Density
  HiTech 4x4" (100x100mm) filters: 2-, 3-, and 4-stop. Used to enhance water blur, and they fit in the Lee Foundation Kit holder.
• Graduated Neutral Density
  Lee 4x6" (100x150mm) 1- and 2-stop filters with a soft transition. Used to balance the exposure between a hot sky and a dark foreground. When the image is right (a more or less straight line between the two parts of the image), it's faster to use a split neutral density filter in the field than to create a high-dynamic-range image in postprocessing.
• Filter Holder
  The Lee Foundation Kit is a great filter holder for 4-inch (100mm) filters. While it's possible to hold a rectangular filter in front of the lens, it's easier to let the filter holder do it for a 30-second exposure or when more than one filter is being used. I have a 77mm adaptor for wide-angle lenses which puts the first filter in the holder really close to the front element of the lens. I use step-up rings to mount the 77mm adaptor ring on my TS-E 24mm (72mm) and TS-E 90mm (58mm) lenses.

Other Gadgets

• Canon Speedlite 550EX
  A reliable flash that I usually use as a slave in a two-flash setup.
• Canon Speedlite 580EX II
  A very nice flash that has a fair amount of weatherproofing. The new single-button release for the tilt and swing makes the flash a joy to use.
• Canon Off-Camera Shoe Cord 2
  An "extension cord" for the flash.
• Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce Flash Diffuser
  I have an omni-bounce flash diffuser for each flash to help soften the light.
• Wimberley F-1 Telephoto Flash Bracket
  The F-1 telephoto kit (M-1, M-2, and M-3 modules) holds the flash above the 500, and the M-6 Extension Post added to it holds it even higher to get the light further off-axis. The M-1 with the kit, supplemented with another M-1, makes a great beanbag support. (As of early 2008, it was cheaper to buy two M-1s seperately, than their special kit with two M-1s — go figure.)
• Wimberley F-2 Macro Flash Bracket
  The F-2 macro kit (M-1 and M-4 modules) is a very flexible support for macro photography. If you already own an M-1 bracket as part of their F-1 kit (see above), you can purchase just the M-4 module to complete the setup. Use two F-2 macro kits to hold two flashes for better lighting.
• Canon Remote Switch
  Better known as an electronic cable release.
• Canon Angle Finder C
  The right-angle finder extension is great for low-level shots.

Packs and Cases

• Kinesis A257 Body Pouch
  A body pouch (duh!) for the Kinesis system. Useful for carrying a second body or a pair of binoculars.
• Kinesis L321 PolyCore™ Long Lens Case 300
  A very rigid long-lens case that can hold the 120-300 (with hood in place) with 1.4x and body attached.
• Kinesis L526 LightWeight Long Lens Case 500
  A great long-lens case that breaks down flat for shipping. It can hold the 500 (with hood reversed) with 1.4x and body attached. It's also useful as a "holster" for the 500 (with hood in place) while shooting out of a vehicle.
• Lowepro Nature Trekker AW
  This backpack carries my minimum set of gear (24 TS, 24-105, and 100-400), and I use it for long hikes.
• Lowepro Photo Trekker Classic
  I use this backpack for airline travel, and it usually carries my wildlife gear (24-105, 120-300, and 500).
• Lowepro Pro Trekker AW
  This backpack carries my standard set of gear (24 TS, 24-105, 90 TS, 100-400 or 120-300, and 180 Macro), and I use this pack most often for landscape work.
• Lowepro Daypack for Trekker
  A great add-on rear "pocket" to the Trekker AW packs. In the field, it holds snacks, water, and extra clothes. While traveling, it's the perfect size for a laptop in a soft case
• Pelican 1470 Case
  This is a great case for protecting a 15-in laptop. It's waterproof, so it'll also keep out dust, and unbreakable, so you can put it in a luggage duffel and not have to worry about it receiving rough treatment.

Support

• Gitzo GT3540XLS Tripod
  This 6x carbon-fiber model has four-segment legs that extend long enough (78 in or 198 cm) for most shots on uneven ground, and without a center post, it can get down to ground level. It folds down to 27.6 in (70 cm) and weighs 4.3 lb (1.95 kg). The 6x legs prevent the legs from rotating and make the locks extremely easy to operate.
• Arca-Swiss B-1
  The granddaddy of ball heads.
• Kinesis SafariSack I
  A great bean bag for shooting out of the top of a vehicle or from other generally flat surfaces.
• Kirk Quick-Release Plates
  I use Kirk quick-release plates on all my gear. The 1Ds Mk III has an L-bracket, the 1D Mk III has a regular camera plate because I rarely use it on a lens without a tripod collar, my lenses with a tripod collar have lens plates, and my 500 f4 has the LP-53 bracket that replaces the Canon foot thus reducing weight and height.
• Really Right Stuff MPR-CL II Panorama Rail
  The MPR-CL II panorama rail is great for placing the lens nodal point over the camera rotation point to create better multi-frame panoramic images. It includes a bubble level to help level the camera.
• Vertex Photographic Molar Bean Bag
  A great window support that packs into a smaller space and weighs less than a metal window support. Well, that's when it's empty. When it's filled, it weighs a ton because it holds about as many beans as three normal bean bags.
• Wimberley M-1 Quick-Release Arm
  Two M-1 modules make a great beanbag support. (As of mid 2007, it was cheaper to buy two M-1s seperately, than their special kit with two M-1s — go figure.)
• Wimberley Sidekick
  A great mount for the 500 f4. The balance is a dream. It's an adapter from the Arca-Swiss ball head, and is a more-convenient option than having a dedicated full-up Wimberley head.

Field Storage

• Gepe Card Safe Extreme
  This is a great case for storing four (4) CF cards — it's even waterproof.
• SanDisk Compact Flash cards
  
  • 4GB Extreme IV
  • 8GB Extreme IV
  • 16GB Extreme III 30MB/s
  The Extreme IV CF cards are my primary storage devices. The Extreme III 30MB/s CF cards can store data practically as fast as the Extreme IV CF cards in the 1Ds Mk III, but they're 1.3 times slower to download to a computer.

Digital Darkroom

• Apple 15-in MacBook Pro (2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo)
  A fast platform for running Capture One and Photoshop, as long as that's about all you're running at the time.
• Eizo ColorEdge CG210
  This 21" LCD display is my main display. It has coupled hardware- and software-based color calibration to provide a wide gamut of accurate colors, and displays 1600x1200 pixels. This display replaced my Apple 23" Cinema HD Display (new style) because that display had noticeable color variation along the left and right sides when calibrated for a D50 white point. The Eizo has great color uniformity, and only a very slight brightness variation along the left and right sides.
• Nikon Super CoolScan 4000 ED
  The original high-end 35mm scanner from Nikon generates a 14-bit, 19 mega-pixel file. The new Super CoolScan 5000 ED is faster and generates a full 16-bit file, but I've gotten used to multi-tasking with the 4000. Hey, it's nice to be able to get up and stretch or check email while the machine's working away.
• Epson Stylus Photo R2880
  The R2880 is a great printer that has archival-quality UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta inks for the highest-quality color and black and white prints. It handles paper up to 13 in wide, and I use it for all of my photo printing. It replaced the Epson Stylus Photo 2200 and Epson Stylus Pro 4800 that I used to use.
• Capture One Pro
  This RAW conversion tool from Phase One lets you zoom-in to the pixel level to examine focus and sharpness before processing the image.
• Genuine Fractals
  This Photoshop plugin from onOne Software is the standard tool for up-resing images.
• iView Media Pro
  I use this image management tool mainly to perform a fast initial edit of images, mostly for wildlife where lots of images are captured. It's a very quick way to go through RAW images (it operates on the embedded JPEG) to throw out images that are definitely not sharp or that are framed poorly (like a cut off wing tip). It's much faster than using Capture One, which operates directly on RAW images (not the embedded JPEG). I use Capture One for the final editing because it's possible to view the RAW image (not the embedded JPEG) at 100% to check sharpness. iView Media Pro is now known as Microsoft Expression Media.
• Noise Ninja
  This Photoshop plugin, or stand-alone application, from Picture Code is the premier noise-reduction tool, and works magic on scanned images.
• Photoshop CS3 by Adobe
  Is there an alternative?